“Dear God, maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother!” Love Larry (age 5)
Six-year-old Liza and her four-year-old brother Robert sat together during church services. Robert giggled, sang, and talked out loud. Finally, his big sister had enough. “You're not supposed to talk out loud in church.” She scolded. “Who's gonna stop me?” he asked defiantly. Liza pointed to the back of the church and said, “See those two people standing by the door? They're “hushers.”
Remarkably, children believe in God despite what their eyes can’t see. You’d think that this concept would be too complicated for them to grasp. But kids ‘see’ God constantly - everywhere in everything.
For example, they pick bright yellow flowers for Mom and white puffy stuff you can blow wishes upon. Adults see dandelions that are going to ruin their yards.
When we look at an old drunk and he smiles at us, we see a foul smelling, filthy person who probably wants a hand out. We look away. Kids see somebody smiling at them and smile right back.
Adults listen self-consciously to strange music they can’t sing. Young people feel the beat and move to it. They sing the lyrics energetically – and if they don't know the words, they make up their own.
Mud puddles – grown-ups think grubby shoes and dirty carpets. Kids sit and stomp in them! In their world, mud is for painting, and building and maybe breaking a few rules. Do you suppose God gave us children to teach or to learn from?
Mature-types like me pray “Hail Mary . . . , or Our Father . . . “Kids say, "Hey God! I think of You even when I’m not praying. Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry for any goof ups today! Later."
No wonder God loves little people! They live each day as if it were the only one that ever mattered.
Whether we are children or were once children, we are all Children of God. We seem so anxious for our children to grow up. Perhaps we should try growing “down” - to chill, to smell the dandelions, to frolic in the rain. For them we should model the future just as they are the perfect reminders of our past. What a blessing for today!
God of all children – help us to live BODLY - to enjoy the little things in life, for one day we may look back and realize they were the BIG things. Remind us of how we used to be, fun loving and carefree. Help us to see the world through the eyes of our inner child.” Amen
